docs: def dummynum(character, name):
      """Count how many nodes there already are in the character whose name
      starts the same.
  
      """
      num = 0
      for nodename in character.node:
          nodename = str(nodename)
          if not nodename.startswith(name):
              continue
          try:
              nodenum = int(nodename.lstrip(name))
          except ValueError:
              continue
          num = max((nodenum, num))
      return num